Mystery Women
by Country Booklover
Summary: All Gary and Raoul could think about was the fact that 'Alan' was a girl. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry about the spelling. I'm am horrible at it; always have been, always will be. **

**Also, these will be short chapters and the story will go rather fast. Not a lot of fluff, more to the point and it is set in ITHOTG. The book ends the same, and not a lot changes. Only that Raoul and Gary both find out her secret, and she didn't tell em. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Alanna, Jon, Raoul, Gary or any of the original character, Tamoria Pierce does; she also owns Tortall and all that. **

CHAPTER 1

Alanna was slowly waking up. She was warm, and happy. It took her a moment to realize there was an arm around her waist and she didn't have any clothes on. That's when the event of last night came flooding back to her. Jon, Deila, the dress, the garden, knocking on Jon's door, his bed, pain and blood, bliss, cuddling, Jon. She had sex with Jon, her knight master.

Suddenly she started to panic. What if Jon only wanted her for one night? What if things were awkward now? What if he thought she went soft? And what in the world was she suppose to do now?!?! She had never spent the night with another person, she didn't know what happened when you woke up in the morning.

Looking out the window she noticed that it was almost dawn. That meant she needed to practice her weapons. As she moved to get up, Jon's arm tightened around her and he mumbled, "Stay, this is so comfortable."

"I can't," She whispered back.

"At least for another half hour, the maid won't come in to wake me up for at least an hour."

"Jon, I have to practice."

"This early?"  
"Every morning."

He signed, "All right. But I'm going back to bed."

"Ummm….Jon?"

"Ya, Alanna?"

"You're arm."

"O right. Sorry."

She mumbled something he didn't catch as he reluctantly moved his arm. Sleeping next to her just felt so right. As she moved out of the bed he sat up and watched her gather her closes.

"Alanna?"

"Ya, Jon?" She asked looking up at him. He was watching her intently.

"You don't have any regrets do you?"

"About what?"

"Last night."

She blushed fiercely, "No, you?"

"Never."

He got out of bed and walked out to her. Putting one hand under her chin, he tilted her face to his and repeated, "Never" before he kissed her. And she kissed him back.

"Hey, Raoul," Gary called. "Guess what?"

"What," Raoul asked sitting down in the mess hall with his food.

"Jon wasn't alone last night." Gary looked overly happy with this news.

"Probably just Deila. Wouldn't be the first they had sex. And how would you know to start with?"

"Wasn't Deila."

"And you know that because?"

"Cause she was still at the ball when I walked past Jon's room and heard."

Raoul perked up, "Wasn't Deila?"

"That's what I said."

"Wonder who it was."

"I don't know. But it's someone he hasn't told us about."

At that moment Jon and his Squire Alan walked though the door's to the mess hall. They got their food and went to sit with Gary and Raoul. The easily started talking, and when the conversation moved to last night's ball Gary asked Jon, "So who did you spend the night with?"

Raoul noticed Alan's slight blush, and Jon replied, "No one."

"Don't lie," Gary said.

"I'm not."

"Yes you are," Gary said smugly. "I heard you last night."

At this Raoul noticed that Alan slightly paled. _Odd_ he thought. Jon signed, "Ok, so maybe I wasn't alone last night."

"Thought so."

"Shut up."

"So who is she," Raoul asked. "Is she pretty?"

"I'm not telling you her name. And yes she is really pretty, beautiful even."

Again Raoul notice Alan's weird reactions, he blushed again. _I'll tell Gary about it_.

"Come on why not a name?"

"Because she doesn't want anyone knowing."

"That's never stopped you before."

"Well I'm respecting her wishes and you won't get anything more out of me." With that he promptly got up and left. Gary and Raoul turned to Alan to get answers.

"Did you hear anything useful through the door?"

"Nothing."

"You had to have heard something,"

"Of course I heard something, just nothing useful."

Raoul noticed that Alan was bright red and awkward, "Did you see anything?"

"Nothing."

"You know something," Gary accused.

"Why you don't you come down to the fencing court with me and we'll test that theory." Alan snapped. Gary paled at the thought. Alan was one of the best fencers and would cream him. When nether of them responded Alan got up and stormed out the mess hall.

"Wonder what they're hiding," Raoul commented.

"Something big,"

"Did you notice Alan's reactions?"

"You mean how he blushed when I mentioned who shared Jon's bed? And how he got really red?"

"Ya, and when you said you heard him he paled."

"I noticed that too."

"Wonder what it means."

"I don't know. It sure was weird though."

"You don't think Jon and Alan are….you know"

"Of course not. Jon's been with a lot of women. And I definitely heard a woman's voice."

Raoul looked relieved at that, "I wonder what they're hiding."

"I know, it's bugging me."

"I wonder who this Lady of Jon's is."

"So do I."

"How can we find out?"

"We follow Jon around and look for clues."

Raoul nodded his agreement. And they started planning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry about the spelling. I'm am horrible at it; always have been, always will be. **

**Also, these will be short chapters and the story will go rather fast. Not a lot of fluff, more to the point and it is set in ITHOTG. The book ends the same, and not a lot changes. Only that Raoul and Gary both find out her secret, and she didn't tell em. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Alanna, Jon, Raoul, Gary or any of the original character, Tamoria Pierce does; she also owns Tortall and all that.**

CHAPTER 2

Sixth Months Later:

"I can't believe we still don't have anything," Gary signed frustrated.

"I know," Raoul replied, equally frustrated. "We don't have any more information than we did then."

"We do know that they spend every night together."

"Though not how she comes and goes without being seen."

"Ugh, this is frustrating."

"What's frustrating, Gary," Jon asked from behind Raoul.

"Oh, nothing, Jon."

"Come on. What are you hiding?"

"What are you hiding," Gary shot back.

"I am hiding nothing cousin."

"Yes you are."

"And what am I hiding?"

"Whoever you're in love with."

"How do you know I'm in love?" Jon's eyebrows shot to his hair line.

"So you are in love?"

"Who's in love?" Alan asked from behind Jon. Gary and Raoul started laughing when they saw Jon jump.

"No one." Jon said with a pointed look at Gary.

"Oh, ok," Alan shrugged. "I need a sparring partner. Up for in Jon?"

"Oh, no. I have my dignity."

Alan laughed, "You lost that a long time ago."

"Did not."

"Did to. Anyway about sparring?"

"Go ask Alex or Duke Gareth."

"You're my knight master. You're suppose to teach me."

"I haven't been able to teach you anything about fighting since you were a page."

Everyone laughed at that, Alan walked off saying something about the crown prince being a chicken. As soon as Alan was out of ear shot, Gary asked Jon, "Who are you in love with?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because she doesn't know."

"You spend every night with her! And you mean to tell me you didn't tell her you love her to get her in your bed to start with?"

"Actually I didn't. It was more of a mutual agreement."

"But you love her and want to marry her?"

"Yes, but she doesn't know. And I don't want to hear you guys saying anything to anyone."

"Deal," Raoul said. "But who is she? And you should tell her."

"I can't tell you who she is. And no I'm not telling her."

"Tell us about her, and you have to tell her." Gary said, a plan forming in his mind.

"She is beautiful, though she doesn't see herself that way. She is caring and loving. She is fierce and a force to be reckoned with. She knows what she wants and how to get it. She is a free spirit and no one can break her. And I'm scared to tell her."

"Sounds like you do love her."

"I think Alan is right," Gary put in. "The crown prince is a chicken."

"I am not," Jonathan said a determined look in his eye. "I will tell her."

"Sure, Jon."

"I will. Tonight." And with that Jon got up and left. Gary turned to Raoul with a smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about," Raoul asked.

"Because we are going to find out a lot tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"When Jon tells this Lady he loves her he will say her name, and we will hear it."

A small grin spread across Raoul's face as he understood what his friend had done. He had played the prince into a strap.

That night Alanna lay in Jon's arm, her head resting on his bare chest. She had not slept in her own bed for the past six months, each night she spent it in Jon's arms. It made her happy. Even though it was now November she wasn't cold at night, Jon kept her warm. She brought her head up and kissed Jon passionately, making what she wanted clear. He returned the kiss for a couple minutes before pulling away. She looked at him with a confused expression in her eyes.

"I love you, Alanna of Trebond."

She froze and suddenly became very angry, She snapped "You what?"

"I love you."

"How dare you," She got out of bed, barely controlling her temper.

"Alanna come back to bed."

"No," she hissed. "How dare you. You can't love me."

"I do."

"You're the Crown Prince and I am a girl masquerading as a boy. We are only having fun. Do you hear me fun! You have no right to go and fall in love with me. You will be sleeping alone until you realize you don't love me!!"

With that she stormed out of Jon's room and into her own. She promptly slammed the door behind her to ass emphasize to her point. She was fuming. How _dare_ he! It was a while before she calmed down enough to fall asleep. It was as she was falling asleep that the thought crossed her mind that her angry was a masked for the fact that she loved him too but was too scared to tell him.

Outside Jon's door, Gary and Raoul stood stunned. They couldn't believe what they had just heard; it shocked them to the core. They had no clue what to make of it. Alan was not a boy but in fact a girl named Alanna. That was unbelievable. Jon and Alanna sleeping together was indescribable and that Jon was in fact in love with this Alanna was unreal.

They didn't know what to make of it. It was all so shocking. Should they tell Jon and Alan that they know or should they pretend they didn't know anything. Suddenly they understood why Jon didn't tell them and Alan's weird reactions. Also they would have to stop thinking of Alan as Alan. Alan was Alanna. Alan was a girl. They needed some help. But who to talk to. After thinking about it for several minutes they went to the Dancing Dove's to talk to George.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry about the spelling. I'm am horrible at it; always have been, always will be. **

**Also, these will be short chapters and the story will go rather fast. Not a lot of fluff, more to the point and it is set in ITHOTG. The book ends the same, and not a lot changes. Only that Raoul and Gary both find out her secret, and she didn't tell em. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Alanna, Jon, Raoul, Gary or any of the original character, Tamoria Pierce does; she also owns Tortall and all that.**

CHAPTER 3

"What can I do for you lads?" George asked Gary and Raoul. He was wondering what had brought these two to the Dancing Doves so late at night.

"Can we talk in private?" Raoul looked disfigured, and awkward. Gary was pale and calculating.

"Sure, we'll talk in my room" George got up from his throne. He looked at his court, "We are not to be disturbed."

Once in George's room, be closed and locked the door then turned towards the Nobles that he had befriended and asked, "What has the two of you running to me in the middle of the night?"

Gary and Raoul shared a look before Gary said, "We found out some…shocking news."

"Shocking how?" George raised an eyebrow.

"Well…….ummm…we overheard something….."

"And whose door did you happen to overhear this shocking news?"

"The um Jon."

Realization registered across Georges face, then he laughed, "Well I guess that means that you know who exactly Jon's night time visitor is."

"Yes, we know who she is."

"And what do you intend to do about the lass?"

"That's why we're here."

"What do you want?"

"Advise."

"On what?"

"What to do. We don't know if you should tell him, I mean her, that we know. Or just go on pretending like it was before."

"Let me ask you a question first."

"Shoot."

"Does this change things for you two at all?"

Gary and Raoul traded a look before Gary answered, "No, not really. Still the best fencer at court. And he, she has proven herself over and over."

"Then I don't see why you can't tell em you know."

"Them?"

"To tell Alanna is to tell Jon."

"Oh," was Gary's smart reply.

"Don't worry lads. It'll all work out."

"Thanks, George. Knew you could help."

"How'd you find out about her?" Raoul piped up.

George chuckled in reply, "The lass need help once, and I was the only one she knew could help her with her problem."

"She could've trusted us."

"Ya, but you would've wanted answers."

"What was here problem?"

"If you promise not to tell," At the lads eager nods he couldn't resist and said, "She wasn't aware of what happened once the Goddess marks you as a woman."

Gary caught on right away and fell over laughing, while Raoul just sat with a confused look on his face. George took pity on him and said, "Monthly lies." Finally getting it Raoul howled with laughter.

The next morning Gary and Raoul were already seated when a furious "Alan" walked through the door. He slammed his food down as he sat. Jon came in not long after that looking like he didn't sleep at all. He sat as far away from 'Alan'. Gary and Raoul had already discussed it and had decided to have some fun this morning.

"You look tired, Jon." Gary drawled.

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Looks like you didn't sleep a wink." Raoul added.

"Think he was too busy to sleep." Gary stated.

Jon flushed, as did 'Alan'. "Yep, he was definitely too busy to sleep."

"Was not."

Raoul ignored him and turned to 'Alan'. "So what has you in such a bad mood?"

"Just idiot, pig headed people. The usual."

"Really. Sounds to me like you had a fight with someone."

"Someone important."

'Alan' flushed, and Gary smiled, "I got it. You had a fight with your _lover_."

Raoul looked between the two and said, "Fight? Up all night? Sitting far away…."

Raoul and Gary shared a look. "Wait, are you two…………"

"NO" they almost shouted at once. More calmly Jon added, "I like women, thank you very much."

"Oh, we know." Gary and Raoul shared a knowing look.

Standing up 'Alan' retorted, "You seem to have become as pig headed and his highness." And with that he stomped off. At that Gary and Raoul burst up laughing, forgetting Jon's presence.

"Did you see her face?"

"It was hilarious."

"I thought she was going to pull Lightning out on us right then and there." They laughed again. It surprised then how easily they accepted that 'Alan' was a girl and started thinking of her that way. Jon looked between the two with a calculating look on his face.

"You two know?" He asked.

"Yep," they chorused.

"How?!"

"Your walls are rather thin."

"Oh,"

"I can't believe she didn't tell us."

"She was scared. Thought you guys would stop being her friend."

"That's insane!"

"I know."

"This changes nothing."

"I think we should discuss this later with her. Say, meet in my room in 3 bells?"

"See you there."

Alanna was sweating; she had just finished practicing and had over done it a bit. She was rather frustrated at Jon, and Gary and Raoul. They were really ignoring her today, well not just them but everyone she ran into. It had quickly spread through the palace that Squire Alan was in a foul mood. She had just entered her room when Jon knocked on that connected their rooms, "Alanna, we're coming in." She was confused. He just said we're, that means he wasn't alone. And by using Alanna that meant that he was with someone who knew. But that couldn't be, no one other than Jon knew who she was at the palace. Alanna paled when Jon walked in with Gary and Raoul.

"We need to talk, Alanna," Jon stated.

"Alanna?" She asked with a pointed look at Gary and Raoul. "Who is this Alanna you keep referring to?"

"They know."

"You told them," She glared at Jon.

"No." He shifted uncomfortable under her intense glare.

"Then how would they know?"

"We heard you two last night," Alanna turned her glare to Gary.

"And may I ask why you were listening in the first place?"

"You would two would tell us anything about Jon's new girl," Gary tried to justify himself which was hard to do under her glaze.

"If he wanted to tell you he would have, since he didn't you should have taken the hint and given him privacy."

"We were curious."

"One of these times you're gonna get too curious and it will get you killed."

"Well we know now, so alls better."

Alanna signed, "Ya you two know. What are you going to do about it?"

"Do?" They echoed. Raoul continued, "There is nothing to do. You earned your right."

"Thank you." She really meant it.

"Now that that's taken care of," Gary suddenly smiled. "Tell us about you and Jon."

"There is no me and Jon."

"Did you not here us? We heard you two last night." Gary's grin got bigger. "We know you to are sleeping together."

"Was." She said resigned.

"Why?"

"If you heard last night you know. Now can we please move on to another less personal subject?"

"Well at least we know why you never dance with the Lady's."

They continued talking for the rest of the afternoon. Alanna was relieved to have them finally know, and that they were fine with it. She was happy to be able to talk to move than just Jon about being a girl. It was through talking with Gary that she realized she loved Jon too, and that it didn't mean she was going soft. Within week of Jon telling her he loved her, she told him she loved him and they were back to sleeping with each other. Gary and Raoul put bets on how long it was before they got married.

The end

**The rest of the book was pretty much the same. Only when Roger cut though her bandages Raoul stood up too and said he had known**.


End file.
